# How do I get Windows Media Player to play DVDs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-windows-media-player-to-play-dvds/451103 "2008-05-30T04:26:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-windows-media-player-to-play-dvds/451103/1 "2008-05-30T04:26:43Z")
I have XP Pro, with SP2 installed about a year ago. When trying to play a DVD, clicking on the chapter names (which unlike a music CD remain generic) does nothing, nor does right clicking and selecting “Play All” or “Play”. Searching for an internet solution revealed a lot of sites all too willing to help me, for a fee of course (30-40 US dollars). I have “automatically download codecs” checked. Any clues? Version number is 11.0.5721.5230. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-windows-media-player-to-play-dvds/451103/2 "2008-05-30T04:42:29Z")
You don’t, without extra downloads. In theory you are indeed required to buy codecs from people who themselves pay license fees; in practice there are “alternatives”, as you can imagine. I doubt we’re allowed to be more specific here … ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-windows-media-player-to-play-dvds/451103/3 "2008-05-30T06:00:54Z")
Was there any DVD software installed on your computer when you bought it? I’m thinking of something like PowerDVD. Most computers that ship with DVD drives include a compatible media player, and this should include the appropriate MPEG2 decoder for DVD playback. The free [VLC Media Player](http://www.videolan.org/vlc/) will play DVDs. It uses a system called **libdvdcss** to play the discs. It’s not quite clear to me what the status of this software in the United States is, because as far as i’ve been able to discover, the legality of libdvdcss has not been tested in a courtroom to see whether or not it would stand up to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libdvdcss), some folks argue that Section 1201 (f) of the DMCA allows the type of circumvention used by libdvdcss. Section 1202 (f) says the following: > [@](#): > > Reverse engineering (section 1201(f)). This exception permits > circumvention, and the development of technological means for such > circumvention, by a person who has lawfully obtained a right to use a > copy of a computer program for the sole purpose of identifying and > analyzing elements of the program necessary to achieve interoperability > with other programs, to the extent that such acts are permitted under > copyright law. I’m not a lawyer, nor am i a technical expert on what reverse engineering and interoperability mean here, so it’s not clear to me whether libdvdcss might or might not be covered by this exemption. The [folks who make VLC](http://www.videolan.org/doc/faq/en/index.html#id281244) have this to say about the legality of libdvdcss: > [@](#): > > The use and distribution of the libdvdcss library is controversial in a few countries such as the United States because of a law called the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). If you are unsure about the legality of using and distributing this library in your country, please consult your lawyer. Make of all that what you will. I have VLC on my computer, i know plenty of other people who use it, and i know i’ve seen it recommended on these boards before. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-windows-media-player-to-play-dvds/451103/4 "2008-05-30T07:17:50Z")
Another option is Media Player Classic, which plays DVDs and also requires no installing - just unzip the file and double-click the exe. It also plays a lot of other formats, and it’s small and lightweight. I prefer it to VLC. [http://www.download.com/Media-Player-Classic/3000-2139\_4-10518778.html?cdlPid=10518777](http://www.download.com/Media-Player-Classic/3000-2139_4-10518778.html?cdlPid=10518777) ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-windows-media-player-to-play-dvds/451103/5 "2008-05-30T07:34:05Z")
[QUOTE=Dervorin] Another option is Media Player Classic, which plays DVDs and also requires no installing - just unzip the file and double-click the exe. It also plays a lot of other formats, and it’s small and lightweight. I prefer it to VLC. > **[Free Software Downloads and Reviews for Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS - CNET...](https://download.cnet.com)** > > CNET Download provides free downloads for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices across all categories of software and apps, including security, utilities, games, video and browsers [/QUOTE] Yeah, i’m a huge fan of MPC. It’s my primary player, and i mainly have VLC as a (rarely-used) backup. I recommended VLC mainly because it’s a more commonly used player and many people seem to prefer it. Personally, i think the MPC interface is nicer to use, and if you install ffdshow, RealAlternative and QuicktimeAlternative there’s virtually nothing it won’t play. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-windows-media-player-to-play-dvds/451103/6 "2008-05-30T12:12:01Z")
[K-Lite Codec Pack.](http://www.codecguide.com/about_kl.htm) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-windows-media-player-to-play-dvds/451103/7 "2008-05-30T13:03:35Z")
[QUOTE=mhendo] Was there any DVD software installed on your computer when you bought it? I’m thinking of something like PowerDVD. Most computers that ship with DVD drives include a compatible media player, and this should include the appropriate MPEG2 decoder for DVD playback. [/QUOTE] Yeah I do have Power DVD, but the problem is awhile back I had to reinstall Windows because it was not booting up properly. When I try to run PDVD, it says there’s no DVD in the drive, when there is. I’ll look into the other alternative you mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-windows-media-player-to-play-dvds/451103/8 "2008-05-30T14:07:15Z")
[QUOTE=mhendo] I recommended VLC mainly because it’s a more commonly used player and many people seem to prefer it. Personally, i think the MPC interface is nicer to use, and if you install ffdshow, RealAlternative and QuicktimeAlternative there’s virtually nothing it won’t play. [/QUOTE] VLC also includes a Firefox plugin that does most if not all of what the Quicktime plugin does, without all the CPU strangling.